1. Introduction
This project outlines the process for creating and maintaining health and safety documentation for Queens College both at a central and local level. Documentation is critical for the success of any organisation’s workplace health and safety management system and as such documents require regular review by competent persons to ensure their effectiveness, suitability and the information is current. It allows for consistency and uniformity in the application of procedures and specifications for health and safety in the workplace.
It applies to all documents created as part of the College’s OHS. This includes documents such as policies, procedures, guidelines and fact sheets
• OHS Documentation: Plans, policies, procedures, guidelines, forms and any other document which forms part of the OHS
• Local Documentation: Local OHS documents are those which are created by a faculty or division to meet the local area needs e.g. computer room procedure.
• Controlled Document: Any document for which distribution and status are required to be kept current by the issuer to ensure that authorised holders or users have the most up to date version available.
• Document Control: The process established in this procedure to define controls needed for the management of OHS documentation.

2. Responsibilities

• Manager Occupational Health and Safety: The Manager OHS has the responsibility for the development of central OHS documentation for the college.
• Health and Safety Advisor: The Health and Safety Advisor has the responsibility for the creation, modification and review of central OHS documentation. As well providing advice to local document controllers on the requirements of any locally produced documents.
• Deans and Directors: Deans and Directors (or equivalent) are responsible for ensuring that the implementation of any faculty generated OHS documentation is created via according to these guidelines.
• Heads of School and Managers of Units: Heads of School and Managers of Units are responsible for ensuring that the implementation of any school/unit generated OHS documentation is created via according to these guidelines.
• Local Document Controllers: Where identified, faculties and divisions are to nominate a document controller to liaise with the OHS Unit to ensure all document control requirements are met. Responsibilities for this role include the updating, creation and maintenance of local OHS documentation and the local document register.
• Document Custodian: The document custodian has the responsibility to approve the OHS document.

3. OHS Document Control
The OHS Unit produces policy, guidelines and other documentation to assist with the implementation of OHS requirements for the College. These documents establish the minimum requirements for all divisions and units to achieve to maintain appropriate positive OHS performance. In essence central OHS documentation is created where there is a need for the requirements across multiple areas of the College. Further documentation created at a local level may be required and should follow the requirements of this guideline. These generally include procedures that outline more detail on how a central OHS document will be implemented.
Queensford College utilises the internet for the storing and availability of documents used in the OHS. This allows for one controlled source to be available for the College and eliminates the need for multiple controlled copies of manuals to be kept. In doing so, this means that any printed version of a document or record is ‘un-controlled’ and should be checked against the online version for its status.
4. Document Development and Maintenance
Creation and modification of central and local documentation should be performed by competent persons, i.e. those having relevant education, experience and work related skills in the particular topic, to ensure their effectiveness, suitability and the information is current. Central OHS documents are created and modified by members of the OHS Unit in the relevant matter.
4.1 Document Creation
4.1.1 Central Documents: New or additional documents are determined by the needs of the organisation, based on:
• legislative requirements
• self-insurance requirements
• system failures reported or identified during incidents investigations
• suggestions from employees or consultation arrangements
• industry and organisational best practice. The need for a new document is then considered by the OHS Unit and arrangements made to prepare the document. The draft document is then made available for consultation prior to going through the approval process.
4.1.2 Local Documents: Local OHS documentation should not create an alternate method of managing health and safety but rather provide further information on the implementation of the system requirements. Local OHS documentation is to include a reference to the overarching document(s) and be consulted with the local area Workplace Advisory Committee and the Health and Safety Advisor prior to approval.

4.2 Document Modification:
Existing documents require regular review to ensure currency with external requirements. Requirements for review and update are determined by:

• the review period as defined by this document
• changes or new legislative requirements
• changes or new self-insurance requirements
• system failures reported or identified during incidents investigations
• suggestions from employees directly or via consultation arrangements, and
• industry and organisational best practice.

4.3 Electronic Data: Any creation, approval, modification or revision of electronic page, whether it is available on the internet or intranet, shall be as per the Web Support Services policies and guidelines.

4.4 Document Properties
4.4.1 Central OHS Documentation: Each central OHS document is required to be consistent with the requirements as per Business Improvement and Assurance Document Control Standard.
4.4.2 Local OHS Documentation: Each local document is required to have the following document properties displayed in the footer:
• Document identifier: This shall include the Division – Unit – Function - Type of Document –document number. The document number shall be displayed in the format ‘XXX.Y’, where X is the document number and Y is the version number e.g. ENG-WHS-GUI-138.5.